Reinforcer and antispreader for brief cases



y 0, 1954 R. DUBROWIN REINFORCER AND ANTISPREADER FOR BRIEF CASES Filed Nov. 17, 1951 all:

W R Q ATTORNEY /0 INVENTOR IPHPHHEL DUBEUIV/A/ Patented July 20, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Raphael Dubrowin, Hartsdale, N. Y.

Application November 17, 1951, Serial No. 256,857

(01. ISO-1.6)

1 Claim. 1

This invention is concerned with corner reinforcers and/or anti-Spreaders for brief cases of the type having front and rear walls interconnected by a contractible and extendible gusset and including companion pivotally associated frames attached to the walls and gusset and adapted to be manually actuated to open and close the brief case. In actual practice, the gusset is sewed to the front and rear walls. Frequently despite such stitching contiguous margins of the gusset and the front and rear walls often spread apart further presenting an undesirable appearance. One dominant object of the invention is to preclude separation of the gusset from the front and rear walls and particularly at upper corners of the latter. Another object is realized in the provision of effective corner reinforcers and anti-spreaders confining the contiguous margins of the front and rear walls and the intervening gusset against separation and concomitantly adequately enhancing the appearance of the brief case. Another object comprehends the utilization of shoulders formed by the upper faces of the gusset and front and rear walls for supporting inwardly overhanging upper lips of the corner reinforcers and, anti-spreaders. Other important and salient objects, advantages and functional and structural features of the invention will appear from the following detailed specification taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a brief case according to my invention shown closed and illustrating the preferred type of corner reinforcers and anti-spreaders.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of Fig. l on a smaller scale however showing the brief case open.

Fig. 2A is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2A2A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2B is an enlarged elevational corner view taken on the line 2B-2B of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2B-2B.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 23.

Fig. 5 is a lan view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 23.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevational view on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of corner reinforcer and anti-spreader shown in Figs. 1-7 however illustrating the hollow rivets or ferrules employed to fasten the wings thereof.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary viewof a brief case of the type shown in Fig. 1 but illustrating a modified type of corner reinforcer and antispreader.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the corner reinforcer and anti-spreader shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line I2-I2 of Fig. 11.

Illustrative of the embodiments disclosed, the corner 'reinforcers and/0r anti-spreaders are each broadly denoted CR and each is preferably stamped out of sheet metal and if desired may be of an appropriate plastic.

The brief case is of conventional construction wherein the vertical margins ill of the expandible and contractible intervening gusset G are sewed by the lines of stitching LS to the vertical margins ll of the front and rear walls FW and RW respectively.

Attached to the upper margins of the gusset G and the front and rear walls FW and RW by lines of stitching [2 are the covered U-shaped inner and outer frame members I3 and [4 having the lower ends appropriately pivoted together as at i 5, the arrangement being such that if the inner ends of the pivoted frames are swung downwardly, gusset G is collapsed and if swung upwardly the gusset is expanded.

Of importance, however, it should be observed that the top faces ll of gusset as well as the top faces as [8 of front and rear walls form shoulders above the lines of stitching l2. These faces or shoulders I1 and I8 serve to support the inwardly overhanging lip L extending from the upper edge of each corner reinforcer and antispreader OR of the type shown in Figs. 1-8, and each embodying an arcuate and relatively thin body including the medially disposed concavo convex node N merged with the diverging but reduced wings W each provided with aperture or opening 20.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the arcuate node N closely receives and confines juxtapositioned or contiguous margins l0 and II of the gusset and wall FW held together by the line of stitching LS to maintain this anti-spreading action, and wings W are secured to a wall of the brief case and to the gusset by ferrules or hollow rivets F adapted to pass through openings 20 in the wings. In Fig. 8 the ferrules are shown out of the corner reinforcer and/or anti-spreader but when driven through the brief case parts the ends of these ferrules become upset in accordance with the usual practice as illustrated in Figs. 1-7.

In the form illustrated in Figs. -12 the corner reinforcer and/or anti-spreader is along the lines of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-8 although the lower part of node N is slightly contracted downwardly and the diverging wings W include prongs P adapted to penetrate the walls of the gusset and a wall of the brief case prior to being bent inwardly to clinch the reinforcer to the brief case corner to preclude spreading or separation. In all of the forms disclosed, the ferrules or prongs constitute means for fastening the wings of the respective corner reinforcers to the brief case. In all forms disclosed the corners of the brief case to be reinforced are defined by the front or rear wall of the brief case and the intervening gusset, and consequently the side parts S (Fig. 4) of such a corner is formed by one of the outer walls as FW or RW and the gusset.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

Corner reinforcing and anti spreading means for a brief case having an outer wall and a gusset both constituting side parts defining a corner at the upper part of said case and characterized by a pair of juxtapositioned side marginal portions and a line of stitching securing said side marginal portions; said corner reinforcing and anti spreading means comprising an uninterrupted concavo convex medially arranged node for closely receiving and confining said marginal portions, divergent wings extending laterally of and reduced relative to and integral with and extending from said node for closely embracing said side parts of said corner, said node having a lower part extending below the elevation of the lower edges of said wings and said wings having intermediate portions progressively increasing in height in a direction towards said node, a lip having an intermediate arcuate part inwardly overhanging and integral with the upper part of said node and having divergent portions inwardly overhanging and integral with the upper portions of said wings and substantially coextensive with the lengths of said upper portions of said wings and seated on the upper faces of said gusset and wall at said corner, and means securing said wings to said side parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 101,172 Smith et al. Mar. 22, 1870 562,555 Roemer June 23, 1396 581,950 Wilt, Jr May 4, 1897 1,489,651 Wilson et al. Apr. 8, 1924 2,573,036 Luft Oct. 30, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,492 Great Britain Jan. 29, 1898 

